Uthama Villain Movie Review – A Tribute to Director K. Balachander

Release date: 2 May 2015	Genre: Tamil comedy-drama film
Cast: Kamal Haasan, K. Balachander, Nassar, Jayaram, Urvashi, Andrea Jeremiah, Pooja Kumar, Parvathi Menon, Parvathy Nair, M. S. Bhaskar and Many Others	Director: Ramesh Aravind
Writter: Kamal Haasan	Music Director: M. Ghibran
Editer: Vijay Shankar	Cinematography: Shamdat
Production Company: Thirrupathi Brothers, Raaj Kamal Films International	Distribution: Eros International
CBFC Rating: U	Running Time: 171 minutes 8 Sec

Kamal Haasan is known for making movies that stand out of the box and 'Uthama Villain' is no different. The film is primarily a tribute to director K.Balachander but also has a lot of messages and an insight look into the world of a star, from the other side.

Quick Glance

What's great?

• . One more brilliant performance from Kamal Haasan


• . Excellent supporting cast by MS Bhaskar, Urvashi, Parvathy and others


• . Background score by Gibran


• . Authentic transition of Thayam dance into the script

What's not?

• . Very lengthy run time at almost three hours


• . Story could have been focused on the main plot as the past doesn't carry any importance

Kamal Haasan plays the role of an actor Mano Ranjan but it reflects many real life dialogs and perspectives of the real man. He wishes to do one movie again with his mentor K Balachander, Margadarisi and the rest of the movie follows the reel life as well as the real life actor's familial issues.

The Cast

Kamal Haasan doesn't need an introduction and once again the actor easily proves he's best when it comes to acting. While his scope is limited, he does a great job as the Thayam dancer. Equally impressive is Ashwin who plays his son, Urvashi, Jayaram and many others. Pooja Kumar has a meaty role. Nasser's comical performance is quite enjoyable.

The Team

While editing and cinematography is decent, music by Ghibran stands out from the crowd. He does an amazing job in part of the background score while the songs are average.

The movie's slow pace is a big letdown and the past story doesn't contribute to the main plot at all. An average movie goer may not enjoy much but people who enjoy in-depth details and a class story of man's emotional side would appreciate it.

Bottom line – Uthama Villain has its good moments but doesn't deliver what people would expect from a Kamal Haasan movie.

Certified Fresh – Yes!

Stars – 3.5/5